Come Play, STL is a premier pediatric clinic that exists to serve children and families through a holistic approach, utilizing a multidisciplinary team of medical and behavioral health professionals.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Pediatric Occupational Therapy helps children to develop and foster functional skills necessary to participate in activities of daily living within their home, school, and community environment.
Speech-Language Therapy
Speech-Language Therapy helps children to improve and develop age-appropriate speech and language skills necessary to effectively communicate with peers and adults. Come Play, STL Speech-Language Pathologists will evaluate and help your child increase communication skills with any of the following areas: articulation, voice, fluency, receptive language, expressive language, and pragmatic (i.e., social) language.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
The Licensed Clinical Social Worker is the mental health counseling branch of social work, and it requires a significant degree of training after graduating with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. This usually requires an extensive period of post-graduate supervised work experience along with passing a national test.
The LCSW practices a type of mental health therapy that is strength based, meaning that she works with the client to identify the strong natural skills and talents they possess that can be used as a launching point to tackle issues causing hardship in the individual’s life. The social work framework for mental health therapy is very holistic; it will take into account not only the individual client’s emotional and psychological makeup, but also societal and environmental factors that can impact the well-being of the client.
Psychological Examiner
"School Psychological Examiners are assessors certified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to work with students from kindergarten to twelfth grade in public schools, interviewing, observing, and administering and interpreting standardized testing instruments that measure cognitive and academic abilities, or describe behavior, personality characteristics, attitude or aptitude, in order to determine eligibility for special education services, placement, or conduct re-evaluation, or occupational guidance and planning.
The work of the School Psychological Examiners is both qualitative and quantitative in nature. They prepare psycho-educational evaluation reports based on test results and interpretation. Integrated with case history, the evaluation reports should present an accurate and clear profile of a student’s level of functioning or disability, strengths and weaknesses, compare test results with the standards of the evaluation instruments, analyze potential test biases, and develop appropriate recommendations to help direct educational interventions and services in a most inclusive and least restrictive environment. Evaluation reports are framed by laws and regulations applicable to testing and assessment in special education, and must follow school district policies and the codes of ethics applicable to education, special education, and psychological assessment."
https://www.missouristate.edu/certification/psychexaminer.htm
More Information on the Therapy Models Utilized at Come Play, STL
Play Therapy
"Play therapy is a structured, theoretically based approach to therapy that builds on the normal communicative and learning processes of children (Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002; O'Connor & Schaefer, 1983). The curative powers inherent in play are used in many ways. Therapists strategically utilize play therapy to help children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings (Gil, 1991). In play therapy, toys are like the child's words and play is the child's language (Landreth, 2002). Through play, therapists may help children learn more adaptive behaviors when there are emotional or social skills deficits (Pedro-Carroll & Reddy, 2005). The positive relationship that develops between therapist and child during play therapy sessions can provide a corrective emotional experience necessary for healing (Moustakas, 1997). Play therapy may also be used to promote cognitive development and provide insight about and resolution of inner conflicts or dysfunctional thinking in the child (O'Connor & Schaefer, 1983; Reddy, Files-Hall, & Schaefer, 2005)."
Find out more at www.a4pt.org
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches. As EMDR is a mental health intervention, it should only be offered by properly trained and licensed mental health clinicians.
Find out more at www.emdria.site-ym.com
TheraPlay
"Theraplay is a child and family therapy for building and enhancing attachment, self-esteem, trust in others, and joyful engagement. It is based on the natural patterns of playful, healthy interaction between parent and child and is personal, physical, and fun. Theraplay interactions focus on four essential qualities found in parent-child relationships: Structure, Engagement, Nurture, and Challenge. Theraplay sessions create an active, emotional connection between the child and parent or caregiver, resulting in a changed view of the self as worthy and lovable and of relationships as positive and rewarding.
In treatment, the Theraplay therapist guides the parent and child through playful, fun games, developmentally challenging activities, and tender, nurturing activities. The very act of engaging each other in this way helps the parent regulate the child’s behavior and communicate love, joy, and safety to the child. It helps the child feel secure, cared for, connected with and worthy.
We call this “building relationships from the inside out."
Find out more at www.theraplay.org
AutPlay Therapy
"AutPlay® Therapy was created by Dr. Robert Jason Grant and is a play and behavioral therapy approach to working with children and families affected by autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dysregulation issues, other neurodevelopmental disorders, and developmental disabilities. It combines the therapeutic approaches of play therapy and behavioral therapy, together with relationship development approaches, in a collaborative model to assist children and adolescents in gaining needed skills and abilities. AutPlay Therapy uses a combination of behavioral and developmental methodology that is both therapist-led and parent-led."
AutPlay Therapy Addresses Improvement in the Following Areas:
Emotional Regulation Ability
Social Skills and Functioning
Relationship Development and Connection
Anxiety Reduction
Sensory Processing
Concentration, Focus, and Attention
Behavior Modification
Parenting Skills
Find out more at www.autplaytherapy.com
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
Based on years of research by Dr. Stephen Porges and his Polyvagal Theory, the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is a therapeutic listening intervention designed to support emotional regulation and neuroception (i.e. sense of one's safety), as well as decrease auditory sensitivity. The music is designed to stimulate the vagus nerve, which is responsible for calming the nervous system. This allows for enhanced social engagement and resilience in children and adults. The purpose of SSP is to create new, positive connections in the brain that allow the listener to regulate by "stretching the nervous system, not stressing the nervous system."
SSP is a music-based intervention that can address dysregulation caused by Sensory Processing Disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, sleep disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, misophonia, and other factors that cause an overactive or underactive emotional state. By reducing auditory sensitivities and improving the ability to process human speech, the goal of SSP is to calm the autonomic nervous system so that children and adults can become more social, engaged, and responsive to their own emotional needs. Other benefits may include improved digestion, improved sleep, and improved vocal tone.
Find out more at www.integratedlistening.com